Production of alkynols and alkynediols using mullite-like siliceous catalyst carrier



United States Patent PRODUCTION OF ALKYNOLS AND ALKYNEDIOLS USING MULLITE-LIKE SILICEOUS CATALYST CARRIER Otto Friedrich Hecht, Easton, Pa., assignor to General Aniline & Film Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application December 30, 1954 Serial No. 478,883

Claims. (Cl. 260-635) In my application Serial No. 318,083, now Patent No.

2,768,215, filed October 31, 1952, of which this application is a continuation-in-part, there is disclosed and claimed the production of an improved catalystfor' use in the processes of U. S. Patent Nos. 2,232,867 and 2,300,969. Said improved catalyst is obtained by depositing copper oxide, and desirably bismuth oxide or similar compound disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,300,969 for preventing the formation of cuprene on a siliceous carrier and heating the thus impregnated siliceous carrier :to a temperature within the range of 400 to 800 C. for :such a period of time that copper (and bismuth) sili- -'cates are formed in the surface layer and the thus heattreated catalyst, when treated with acetylene at room temperature, does not form red copper acetylide.

Said application disclosed as suitable siliceous carriers substances such as kaolin, silica gel, fullers earth, etc. The instant invention is based upon the discovery that the best siliceous carrier for use in the invention disclosed and claimed in said copending application is a mullite-like material prepared by forming a mixture of kaolin and a water-soluble synthetic organic polymeric binder into a shaped body, roasting said shaped body at temperatures of about 800 to 850 C. in the presence of air to convert the kaolin into montmorillonite and burn out the said binder, and then subjecting said body to temperatures of about 1000 to 1200 C., preferably 1030 to 1100 C., to produce the desired mullite-like structure. The carrier thus obtained may then be impregnated with the copper and bismuth compounds, and subsequently treated in accordance with the process disclosed and claimed in said copending application.

The catalytic bodies obtained in accordance with the instant invention when employed for the production of alkynols including alkynediols as described above and in said copending application, have been found to have a much longer life-time and increased mechanical stability in addition to enabling the production of good yields of the desired products and minimum cuprene production.

As water-soluble synthetic organic polymeric binders which may be employed in the instant invention, there may be mentioned polyacrylic acid, alginic acid (poly- 1mannuronic acid),.pectic acid (polygalacturonic acid), and especially polyvinyl methyl ether, and methyl cellulose, their water-soluble salts, and mixtures thereof. :Such binders have been found to be superior to binders commonlyemployed in the catalytic art such as glucose,

cane sugar, syrup, molasses, gelatin, starch paste, and -the like, in being more easily burned out yielding a carrier having a higher porosity. The amount of binder to be mixed with the kaolin should be sufiicient to yield a -composition which, if desired after suitable drying, may

be shaped in any desired manner, as for example, by stamping, extruding, molding, or otherwise. Preferably, the composition should be of a putty-like consistency when being shaped.

During the burning operation at temperatures of about 800 to 850 C. the synthetic organic binder is incinerated and burned out leaving fine pores in the ceramic material which thus has a large active surface. At this stage of the process, the shaped body is principally montmorillonite. The subsequent heating, roasting or burning step at temperatures of 1000 to 1200 C., while reduc ing the porosity and hence the amount of active surface of the carrier, yields a product which has high mechanical strength, resistance to attrition, and the like.

The resulting mullite-like carrier is then employed, as A the siliceous carrier in the processof said copending application, which broadly comprises impregnating the carrier with the copper (and bismuth) compounds and heating at 400 to 800 C. for a suflicient period of time to obtain the desired topochemical reaction resulting in the formation of copper (and bismuth) silicates in the surface layer., a v f The following example, in which parts are by weight unless otherwise indicated, is illustrative of the instant invention and is not to be regarded as limitative.

Example 1000 parts of kaolin (Al O -2SiO -2H O) are mixed with 500 parts of a 30% aqueous solution of a polyvinyl methyl ether (spec. viscosity:0.54 in 1% benzene solution at 25 C.) to the consistency of putty. This mixture is then pressed through an extrusion press with holes of about 4 mm. diameter and cutinto pieces of 5 to 6 mm. in length.

The bodies so formed are now dried at C. to C. in an oven for removal of the water and then roasted for five hours at 800 C. to 850 C., whereby the kaolin is transformed through the metakaolin stage (Al O -2SiO to montmorillonite (A1 O -4SiO in the presence of air, so that the polyvinyl methyl ether may completely be burned out. This montmon'llonite is now roasted for one hour at 1080 C. in an electric oven and results in a semi-mullite status. (According to the X-ray pattern, this material is already mullite [3Al O -2SiO concerning its structure. However, the mechanical strength is between montmorillonite and mullite.)

After a slow cooling procedure to room temperature, 1

1000 parts of these ceramic bodies are soaked with a solution of 387 parts copper nitrite trihydrate and 180 parts bismuth nitrate pentahydrate, dissolved in a mixture of 334 parts of nitric acid (70%) and 250 parts of water.

This product is now slowly'dried by vaporization of water and acid for 42 hours at 80 C. and then fired and roasted for 36 hours at 500 C.

1215 parts of catalyst are finally obtained, which is after reduction (by refluxing with 12% neutralized formaldehyde solution for 30 minutes) and generation with acetylene ready for use in the alkynol synthesis.

This invention has been disclosed with respect to certain preferred embodiments, and various modifications and variations thereof will become obvious to the person skilled in the art. It is to be understood that such modifications and variations are to be included within the spirit and purview of this application, and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: W

1. In a method of producing a catalyst for use in the production of alkynols by reacting a carbonyl compound with acetylene hydrocarbons, which method comprises depositing copper oxide on a siliceous carrier and heating the thus impregnated siliceous carrier to a temsome within the ran e or 400 to 800 c. for such a period of time that copper silicate is formed in the surface layer and the thus heat-treated catalyst when treated with acetylene at room temperature, does notformred copper-acetylide ,theimpr ov'e'ment which comprises em} ploying therein a siliceous carrier-flpreparedby forming a mixtureconsisting essentially of kaolin and a water soluble synthetic organic polymeric binder into a shaped body, heating said body in the presence of air at temperatures, of Iabout 800r to 850, C. to burn out said binder and convert the kaolin to the montmorillonite, and then heating said body to temperatures of about 1000 to 1200 C to produce a porous, mullite-like siliceous carrier ,havinga mullite X-ray pattern.

A 2'; A siliceous carrier prepared as defined in claim 1.

; '3.-'A catalyst prepared as defined in claim 1.

4.In aprocess for the production of alkynols by reaction of a carbonylcompound selected from the class consistingbt aldehydes and ketones with acetylene hydrocarbons in the liquid phase in the presence of a catalyst, jhe im provement which comprises employing as such catalyst a catalyst as defined in claim 3.

polymeric binder into a shaped body, heating said body p S. Ameth od as defined in claim 1 wherein said binder is; polyvinyl methyl ether.

6. A'sili'ceouscarrier prepared as defined in claim 5.

7, A catalyst prepared as defined in claim 5.

yj In a process for the production of alkynols by in the presence of air at temperatures of about 800 to 850 C. to burn out said binder and convert the kaolin to montmorillonite, and then heating said body to temperatures of about 1000 to 1200 C. to produce a porous mullite-like siliceous carrier having a mullite X-ray pattern. e

10. A method as defined in claim 9 wherein said binder is polyvinyl metihyl ether.

'ReferencesClted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 ,300,969 Reppe et a1 Nov. 3, 1942 2,633,623 Robinson Apr. 7, 1953 Sieg Dec. 14, 1954 OTHER REFERENCES Grant: Hackhs Chemical Dictionary, 3d edition (1944), The Blakiston Co., Philadelphia, page 552. 

1. IN A METHOD OF PRODUCING A CATALYST FOR USE IN THE PRODUCTION OF ALKYNOLS BY REACTING A CARBONYL COMPOUND WITH ACETYLENE HYDROCARBONS, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES DEPOSITING COPPER OXIDE ON A SILICEOUS CARRIER AND HEATING THE THUS INPREGNATED SILICEOUS CARRIER TO A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 400 TO 800*C. FOR SUCH A PERIOD OF TIME THAT COPPER SILICATE IS FORMED IN THE SURFACE LAYER AND THE THUS HEAT-TREATED CATALYST WHEN TREATED WITH ACETYLENE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, DOES NOT FORM RED COPPER ACETYLIDE THE IMPROVEMNET WHICH COMPRISES EMPLOYING THEREIN A SILICEOUS CARRIER PREPARED BY FORMING A MIXTURE CONSISTING OF ESSENTAILLY OF KAOLIN AND A WATERSOLUBLE SYNTHETIC ORGANIC POLYMERIC BINDER INTO A SHAPED BODY, HEATING SAID BODY IN THE PRESENCE OF AIR AT TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 800 TO 850*C. TO BURN OUT SAID BINDER AND CONVERT THE KAOLIN TO THE MONTMORILLONITE, AND THEN HEATING SAID BODY TO TEMPERATURES OF ABOUT 1000 TO 1200*C. TO PRODUCE A POROUS, MULLITE-LIKE SILICEOUS CARRIER HAVING A MULLITE X-RAY PATTERN. 